Automated electromechanical gripper for handling a container

ABSTRACT

The present invention is an automated electromechanical gripper for handling a container. In one embodiment, the gripper is used in an automated liquid dispenser. The gripper can grab a single container, remove the container from a nested stack of containers, and move the container in three directions (horizontally, laterally, and vertically).

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/812,431, filed on Nov. 14, 2017, and titled “Automated LiquidDispensing Device and Associated Method,” which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/242,295,filed on Apr. 1, 2014 and titled, “System and Method for Eco-FriendlyBeverage Dispensing Kiosk,” which claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/807,191, filed on Apr. 1, 2013 and titled, “Automatedclosed loop system for sterilizing and refilling bottles for drinkingwater,” all of which are incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is an automated electromechanical gripper forhandling a container. In one embodiment, the gripper is used in anautomated liquid dispenser. The gripper can grab a single container,remove the container from a nested stack of containers, and move thecontainer in three directions (horizontally, laterally, and vertically).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Traditional containers for liquids, such as beverages, detergents,soaps, oils, and other liquids, are inefficient and wasteful because ofthe amount of plastic and other packaging used to contain that liquidduring the distribution cycle. One of the most common uses for such acontainer is for bottled water, even though water is ubiquitous and safeto drink in many places, communities still prefer to drink water inharmful plastic containers for its convenience. Most consumers do notrecycle these plastic containers. A typical prior art container ismanufactured using injection blow molding and utilizes a screw capclosure out of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and HDPE (high-densitypolyethylene). This packaging will be excessively hard to be broken downby nature which has caused massive amounts of plastic waste toaccumulate in waterways, as observed by the NOAA. It is well-known thatdisposable plastic bottles and other containers being consumed on aglobal scale have caused massive ecological damage due to theconsumption of fossil fuels to both package and transport beverages fromthe bottling plant to the consumer.

Currently humanity is fixed operating within an industry which requirespackaging to have a long shelf life, and be strong enough to survive adistribution channel. The prior art lacks a solution for providing abeverage container that is able to be processed by nature and that meetsvarious state, national, and international standards for“compostability.”

What is needed is an automated liquid dispensing device that can store aplurality of empty, compostable containers and can fill a singlecontainer, seal it, and dispense the filled container to a user ondemand. Such an automated liquid dispensing device would overcome theprior art need for the packaging to be designed for a long shelf lifeand usage of a violent distribution channel, enabling the use ofenvironmentally friendly materials in the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Two embodiments of liquid dispensing devices are disclosed herein. Theliquid dispensing devices comprise novel mechanisms for removing asingle container from a nested stack of containers, closing the bottomof the container, decapping the container, filling the container,capping the container, and dispensing the filled container to a user.

The above-described problems with producing compostable bottled water orbeverage are alleviated by using the liquid dispensing devices herein.The devices use the municipal water supply, filter the water, provideadditives in accordance with consumer preferences, fill compostablebottles stored in the chassis, and deliver a sealed, filled bottle tothe consumer.

In the described embodiments, the beverage container comprises anexternal shell, internal pouch, and closure. Its shape is unique anddifferent than a prior art beverage bottle. The shell may be of aneasily degradable material such as wood or bamboo pulp. Unlike othercarton-like containers, the liquid is stored in a thin film pouch withinthe shell. The pouch may consist of poly-lactic acid (PLA) orpolyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) or polybutyrate (PBAT) in such thickness andof such type that it meets regulatory requirements to be certified as“compostable.” The cap may be a typical cap with threads to screw ontothe top of the container or an alternative. The cap may be made of wood,bio-polymer, or another material. To meet regulatory requirements, theentire container, may be certified as “compostable” by certificationorganization Vincotte (Brussels, Belgium) or a similar entity.

The shell optionally comprises a conical tube with a narrower opening ontop and a bottom that is wider, which has a hinged flap that is able toeither leave a large opening on the bottom or is able to close the largeopening by being folded into it. During transpiration, the large openingon the bottom is left open so bottles may be nested together. The pointof sale may be a beverage kiosk or other point of retail sale. Becausethe hinged bottom is in the open position at the time of shipping, thecontainers may be stacked efficiently, with many hundreds or thousandsof containers able to be stacked and stored within a space within akiosk housing that is smaller than the size of a typical vendingmachine, and allowing for other equipment inside the housing.

A data collection interface is employed to interface with the meter datacollection system. A number of software applications for cleaning,validating and estimating data are employed. A message bus transfersdata or information derived from the data between the data collectionsystem, the data collection interface and the software applications. Byemploying a number of different software applications to perform thefunctions of cleaning, validating and estimating data, where thesoftware applications communicate with one another and with the datacollection interface through the message bus, efficiency and flexibilityof the cleaning, validating and estimating functions performed by thesoftware applications are improved.

When a consumer purchases a beverage using the liquid dispensing devicesdescribed herein, the container is filled and delivered to the consumer.In this document, the terms “purchaser,” “consumer,” “user,” and“beverage recipient” are used interchangeably.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a first embodiment of a liquid dispensing device.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of bottle storage and the fillingmechanism of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view diagram showing a sealing plug and capbody, where the sealing plug is inserted partially into the cap bodythrough a hole.

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the sealing plug and cap body of FIG.3A.

FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view diagram showing a sealing plug and capbody, where the sealing plug is inserted completely into the cap bodythrough the hole to form a permanently sealed combined cap assembly.

FIG. 3D is a perspective view of the permanently sealed combined capassembly of FIG. 3C sealing plug and cap body.

FIG. 3E is a top view of the main cap body with the sealing plug removedwhere a hole at the center of the main cap body is for receiving thesealing plug that is to be inserted into the hole of the main cap bodyfirst partially and then completely after filling the bottle.

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the bottle and cap assembly in a filled andpermanently sealed condition.

FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a bottle with the cap plug insertedpartially and ready for filling.

FIG. 5 shows a network of kiosks connected by a communication network toa central computer that contains a database of information about thekiosks and the customers buying beverages from the kiosks.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a second embodiment of a liquid dispensingdevice.

FIG. 7A depicts a lift plate, separator, and related components of theliquid dispensing device.

FIG. 7B depicts a lift plate, separator, and related components of theliquid dispensing device with stacks of containers.

FIG. 7C depicts a lift plate, separator, and related components of theliquid dispensing device with a single container in the fully upwardposition.

FIG. 8 depicts a top view of the separator of the liquid dispensingdevice and the lift plate without stacks of bottles.

FIG. 9 depicts friction members in the separator.

FIG. 10 depicts a sensor in the separator.

FIG. 11 depicts a front view of a gripper of the liquid dispensingdevice.

FIG. 12 depicts a side view of the gripper.

FIG. 13 depicts a front view of the gripper in an “on” state.

FIG. 14 depicts a front view of the gripper in an “off” state.

FIG. 15 depicts a front view of the gripper in an “on” state with acontainer.

FIG. 16 depicts a front view of the gripper in an “off” state with agrabbed container.

FIGS. 17A, 17B, and 17C depict a sequence of the gripper grabbing thecap of a container.

FIG. 18 depicts a top view of the gripper.

FIG. 19 depicts motorized tracks used to move the gripper.

FIGS. 20A, 20B, and 20C depict additional views of tracks used to movethe gripper.

FIGS. 21A, 21B, and 21C depict a sequence of a bottom flap closer of theliquid dispensing device used to close the bottom flap of a container.

FIG. 22 depicts a side view of a capper/decapper of the liquiddispensing device.

FIG. 23 depicts another side view of the capper/decapper.

FIGS. 24A and 24B depict a bottom view and FIG. 24C depicts a side viewof a mechanism in the capper/decapper for grabbing the cap.

FIGS. 25A, 25B, and 25C depict a top view of capper/decapper and sensorsused to sense the presence of a cap.

FIG. 26 depicts hardware aspects of a controller of the liquiddispensing device.

FIG. 27 depicts software aspects of the controller.

FIGS. 28A and 28B depict side views of a container for use with theembodiments of the liquid dispensing devices.

FIGS. 29A and 29B depict side views of a nested stack of containers.

FIGS. 30A, 30B, and 30C depict the closing of a bottom flap of thecontainer.

FIGS. 31A and 31B depict a side-view of a locking mechanism in thecontainer.

FIGS. 32A and 32B depict a side-view of a securing mechanism in thecontainer that secures a liquid-holding bag between a mechanical sealingring and the closure shoulder.

FIGS. 33A, 33B, and 33C depict a side-view of the container in variousstates of assembly.

FIG. 34 depicts an exploded side view of various components of thecontainer.

FIGS. 35A and 35B depict additional exploded side views of variouscomponents of the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Liquid Dispensing Device

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the invention.As shown in FIG. 1, the kiosk 1 contains the elements necessary toproduce and deliver bottled water or other beverages to the purchaser.Water from a municipal water supply facility enters the kiosk viamanifold 33 and is connected to filters 5 that remove impurities,including both inorganic chemicals and undesirable microbes. Bottles arestored in cartridge 3 prior to filling in stacks as shown in FIG. 2. Thebottles are retrieved by a robot arm and placed in a carousel to befilled by filler 4 in FIG. 1. The water is delivered through tubes tofiller 4, and then injected into the bottle. The filled bottle is sealedand delivered to the consumer through the delivery mechanism 2, as shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates the storage and handling of bottles in thisembodiment. The bottles are stored in stacks 41 in a partially-completedstate in the kiosk, with their bottoms only partially attached. Duringthe filling and sealing process, the bottoms are attached. Fillingcollar 42 of filler 4 injects water through a hole in a pre-installedcap to fill the bottles. The use of a carousel allows one bottle to befilled while another is taken by the robot arm from storage and added tothe carousel. Another bottle can then be filled immediately with a shortrotation of the carousel without waiting for the robot arm to retrieve abottle from the stack.

FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate the cap system in a second embodiment to deliverthe sealed bottle of an embodiment. In this embodiment, the cap has twoparts: sealing plug 21 and cap body 22. Following manufacture of thesealing plug and cap body, the sealing plug is inserted partially intothe cap body through hole 26 as illustrated in the cross-sectional viewof FIG. 3A to form the partially sealed plug and cap body assembly 24also shown in FIG. 3B in perspective. Four holes 27 are defined in thecap body as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3E. FIG. 3E is a top view of the maincap body with the sealing plug removed where a hole 26 at the center ofthe main cap body is for receiving the sealing plug that is to beinserted into the hole of the main cap body first partially and thencompletely after filling the bottle. This partially sealed plug and capbody assembly 24 is screwed onto the bottle at a centralized facilityand the breakable paper or plastic seal 35 in FIG. 4B is attached viaadhesive or as shrink-wrap commonly used in the industry. The partiallysealed plug and cap body assembly 24 is delivered to the kiosk alreadyscrewed onto the bottle as shown in FIG. 4B. The beverage is injectedthrough the four holes 27 in partially sealed plug and cap body assembly24. After filling, a solenoid (not shown) plunges the plug 21 completelyinto the cap body 22 to create the sealed plug and cap body assembly 25shown in FIG. 3C. The assembly 25 is then a permanently sealed combinedcap assembly having an appearance attractive to the consumer and similarto typical plastic bottle caps. The permanently sealed combined capassembly 25 is shown in the perspective view in FIG. 3D, and incross-section in FIG. 3C. In other words, the holes 27 through whichwater is injected are permanently sealed following the filling of thebottle. The Kiosk 1 also preferably includes a refrigeration unit inmanifold 33 that chills the water before it is injected into the bottle.The filler 4, the refrigeration unit, the solenoid unit that seals theholes 27, and the robot arm that delivers the filled bottle to therecipient are collectively referred to herein as the “mechanism.” Toconsume the beverage, the consumer will first need to break the seal 35by unscrewing the cap and removing it from bottle 34. The bottle and capassembly in a filled and permanently sealed condition is shown in FIG.4A.

FIG. 1 illustrates a further embodiment, in which the kiosk has a QRreader or camera 8 to read a QR code displayed by the purchaser's smartphone 6 in another embodiment. The QR code communicates the purchaser'sidentity and other information such as payment preferences. The QR codemay also be displayed on the tablet computer 10 or on the laptopcomputer 9 instead of smart phone 6. A smart phone, a tablet computerand a laptop computer are referred to herein collectively as a handheldcomputer.

In a still further embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the purchaser may selectadditives for the water to be added following filtration and prior tofilling the bottle. The selected additives are injected into the bottlewith filler 4. Additives selected by the end consumer are communicatedfrom the handheld computer such as smart phone 6 via wirelesscommunications to receiver 7. The handheld computer may also be tabletcomputer 10 or laptop computer 9. A wireless receiver similar toreceiver 7 may be used to establish two way communication between thekiosk and a centralized computer linked to or with a database providinginformation to the kiosk as illustrated in FIG. 5.

In a yet further embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the purchaser maycommunicate payment information such as identification and accountnumber to the kiosk as well as authorization for payment for the filledcontainer beverage by the purchaser's financial institution on behalf ofthe purchaser. Payment information for the end consumer or purchaser iscommunicated from the handheld computer such as smart phone 6 viawireless communications to receiver 7. The handheld computer may also betablet 10 or laptop computer 9.

In another further embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the kiosk has acomputer processor 11 that can communicate with a payment processingcomputer (not shown) at a payment facility (not shown) via wireless link7 to enable automatic deduction from a pre-paid account that was fundedby the beverage recipient in advance of the purchase.

In a further embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the kiosk 1 has computerprocessor 11 that contains or is linked to a database 12 of informationabout persons previously utilizing the kiosk. This database may belinked, to centralized database 13 illustrated in FIG. 5. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the kiosk of FIG. 1 may be one of thekiosks 14, 15, 16 in and forms part of a network of kiosks 14, 15, and16 that are connected via communications network 17 to a centraldatabase 13 connected to computer processor 28 and housed at centralizedfacility 31. The central database 13 contains in one embodimentinformation about persons previously utilizing any one of the kiosksthat is part of the network of kiosks. Alternatively, the centraldatabase 13 may also be stored in the computer processor 28.

In yet another further embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the kioskproduces bottled beverages without creating wastewater. Water isreceived through intake manifold 33 and passed through filters 5 beforebottling. Only sufficient water is processed in order to fill a bottle.Any excess water is stored in filler 4 and utilized in filling asubsequent bottle. Filters 5 may include the use of ultraviolet light,or may include a reverse osmosis filter, or a charcoal filter, or anycombination or subset of the three. In one embodiment, the charcoalfilter requires no flushing, because it is replaced via maintenanceactivities before reaching full utilization.

In one more embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, tubing carries water frommanifold 33 to filler 4. The kiosk utilizes only tubing that allows nodetectable leaching of impurities in the liquid as the liquid flowsthrough the tubing. Such tubing may include some stainless steel tubing.In yet another embodiment shown in FIG. 1, filler 4 includes tubesconnected to additive containers stored in filler 4. The kiosk addsadditives to the water via filler 4 during the filling process. Theadditives are selected by the recipient of the beverage. In oneembodiment, the additive is one or more flavors. In other embodiments,the additive is carbonation, caffeine, or vitamins.

In an embodiment shown in FIG. 5, kiosk 14 has a wireless communicationscomponent (not shown but similar to wireless link 7 of FIG. 1) tocommunicate via communications network 17 to retrieve the beveragerecipient's preferred set of additives from database 13 housed atcentralized facility 31 remote from the kiosk. This may be performed bymeans of the wireless communications component or receiver of kiosk 14receiving wireless signals from a handheld computer of the recipient.The wireless signals carry information about the purchaser's preferredadditives, and the mechanism adds the preferred additives to the waterfiltered from the standard local water supply facility before fillingthe at least one container.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention in which thekiosk is part of a network of kiosks and where a closed-loop maintenancesystem is used to maintain the kiosk. Such kiosks are connected tocomputer processor 28 at central facility 31 via communications network17. The centralized database 13 is connected to computer processor 28.The database may contain information about the kiosks and number ofbeverage containers filled at each kiosk in the network. The databasemay contain information about all the service calls to each kiosk andinformation about the history of the filters and pumps in each kiosk inthe network.

FIG. 1 illustrates one further embodiment, in which bottles are storedin cartridge 3 prior to filling. The use of cartridges allows forefficient maintenance, because bottles can be pre-loaded into thecartridges at a central maintenance facility. The loaded cartridges canthen be quickly exchanged in the kiosk, allowing for addition ofhundreds of empty bottles with a minimum of manual labor and in a shorttime period.

Improved Container

FIGS. 28A and 28B depict side-views of container 100. With reference toFIG. 28A, container 100 comprises cap 101, closure shoulder 102, andliquid-holding bag 111. With reference to FIG. 28B, shell 103 is nowdepicted. Shell 103 comprises body 104, hinge 106, and bottom flap 105.Bottom flap 105 comprises notch 107.

FIGS. 29A and 29B depict side-views of a stack of containers 100. As canbe seen, container 100 is designed to allow a nested configuration,wherein multiple units of container 100 are stacked. Each container 100optionally contains cap 101 already secured to its closure shoulder 102.The cap 101 of a first unit can fit within the closure shoulder 102 of asecond unit stacked on top of the first unit. The bottom flap 105 ofeach unit is open and nested together as shown in FIG. 29B. One benefitof this aspect of the invention over stackable prior art bottles andcups is that because each container 100 contains a liquid-holding bag111, when the multiple containers 100 are stacked together, eachliquid-holding bag 111 remains completely sealed, thus maintainingsterility during transportation without the need to wrap the stack ofcontainers 100 in a plastic bag. This further enhances the utility andease-of-use of this aspect of the invention.

FIGS. 30A, 30B, and 30C depict side-views of container 100. In FIG. 30A,a bottom perspective view of closure shoulder 102 is included. Closureshoulder 102 comprises locking ring 116. In FIG. 30B, it can be seenthat bottom flap 105 can move via hinge 106 from an unclosed position toa closed position, wherein bottom flap 105 closes the bottom ofcontainer 100 such that it is substantially perpendicular to the sidewall of shell 103. In FIG. 30C, it can be understood that notch 107engages with the side wall of shell 103 (optionally, by inserting into aslit in the slide wall of shell 103) to hold bottom flap 105 in place.

FIGS. 31A and 31B depict additional side-views of container 100 and showthe mechanism which retains the shoulder 102 to the paper shell 103.FIG. 31B contains an enlarged view of part of closure shoulder 102 afterit is inserted into shell 103. Closure shoulder 102 comprises protrusion108 formed by a cavity in closure shoulder 102. Shell 103 compriseslocking tab 109, which here is part of shell 103 folded downward.Locking tab 109 engages with protrusion 108, which prevents closureshoulder 102 from being pulled out of shell 103 during normal usage by aconsumer.

FIGS. 32A and 32B depict additional side-views of container 100 withouta shell. Cap 101 can screw onto a drinking spout 112 of closure shoulder102. Drinking spout 112 comprises screw threads on its outer verticalsurface. Closure shoulder 102 comprises cavity 113, which includeslocking ring 116 for receiving locking ring 117 on mechanical sealingring 110. Container 100 further comprises liquid-holding bag 111, whichis capable of holding water or other liquid. The outer diameter of thetop surface of the bottom lip 115 of mechanical sealing ring 110 islarger than the opening 114 of liquid-holding bag 111. Optionally, thediameter of locking ring 117 of mechanical sealing ring 110 also islarger than opening 114 of liquid-holding bag 111, such that the opening114 is stretched to receive mechanical sealing ring 110.

During manufacturing of liquid-holding bag 111, mechanical sealing ring110 is placed into liquid-holding bag 111 from the bottom ofliquid-holding bag 111 (which initially is open on the bottom).Mechanical sealing ring 110 is then moved upward until opening 114 restson top surface of the bottom lip 115 of mechanical sealing ring 110.Mechanical sealing ring 110 is then pushed into closure shoulder 102such that locking ring 117 is pushed over locking ring 116, which locksmechanical sealing ring 110 into place within closure shoulder 102,which secures liquid-holding bag 111 to closure shoulder 102. The bottomof liquid-holding bag 111 is then sealed using heat, ultrasound (e.g.,Ultrasonic welding), or other known means.

FIGS. 33A, 33B, and 33C depict additional side-views of container 100through the assembly steps. In FIG. 33A, liquid-holding bag 111 has anopen bottom. Mechanical sealing ring 110 is placed through the bottom ofliquid-holding bag 111 (as discussed above) and is secured to closureshoulder 102. In FIG. 33B, mechanical sealing ring 110 extends throughopening 114 of liquid-holding bag 111 (which has now been sealed on thebottom) and is secured to closure shoulder 102. In FIG. 33C, cap 101 isscrewed onto threads of drinking spout 112. This can be performed bycapper/decapper 606, described below with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG.22. As used herein, the terms “capper/decapper” and “capper” will beused interchangeably, as the same device can be used to remove a capfrom a container or to add a cap to the container.

FIG. 34 depicts another side-view of container 100, showing all theindividual components that comprise the described bottle. Again,mechanical sealing ring 110 is secured to closure shoulder 102, whichsecures liquid-holding bag 111 between mechanical sealing ring 110 andclosure shoulder 102 in a watertight fashion.

FIGS. 35A and 35B depict another side-view of components of container100. Locking tab 109 and protrusion 108 are depicted. The liquid holdingassembly is on the left, which is inserted into the paper shell depictedon the right.

With reference to now to FIGS. 28-35, the assembly of container 100 willbe further discussed. Mechanical sealing ring 110, closure shoulder 102,and cap 101 are all injection-molded, preferably using compostablepolymers. Liquid-holding bag 111 is blown film which is cut and thenheat-sealed to the form a bag. The bottom of liquid-holding bag 111 issealed after the mechanical sealing ring 110 is inserted intoliquid-holding bag 111.

The assembly comprising liquid-holding bag 111 and sealing ring 110 isinserted into cavity 113 of closure shoulder 102, where collectivelythose components form a liquid-tight seal and are permanently fixedbecause of a strong push-fit and engagement of locking rings 116 and117. The bottom of liquid-holding bag 111 is then heat sealed, leavingonly one opening in liquid-holding bag 111 (i.e., drinking spout 112 onclosure shoulder 102, through opening 114). Cap 101 is then tightenedonto drinking spout 112 resulting in a sealed container. The sealedcontainer is then inserted into shell 103, securing the closure assemblyto it without the use of adhesives. This can be performed by liquiddispensing device 600, described below.

Improved Liquid Dispensing Device

An improved liquid dispensing device that builds upon the design ofkiosk 1 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 6-27.

FIG. 6 depicts liquid dispensing device 600. Liquid dispensing device600 comprises chassis 605 constructed from metal, plastic, or other firmmaterial. Liquid dispensing device further comprises gripper 601,separator 602, lift plate 603, controller 604, capper/decapper 606,water filtration and chilling unit 608, track 609, bottom flap closer610, filler 611, and other structures as shown. Using the structures andmethods described herein, liquid dispensing device 600 ultimatelyprovides dispensed bottle 607 to a user.

Lift plate 603 is a plate controlled by a linear actuator or other motorthat pushes stacked containers 100 (not shown) upward as containers 100are removed from the top of the stack. Separator 602 enables lift plate603 to push the top container 100 toward gripper 601 while preventingall containers 100 below top container 100 to remain at or belowseparator 602.

Gripper 601 is an electrically-controlled robotic arm that can grab acontainer (not shown) and move the container in three directions(horizontally, laterally, and vertically) using track 609 and othertracks that are not shown. The movement of gripper 601 in these threedirections optionally is controlled by a stepper motor.

Bottom flap closer 610 is a mechanical structure that is used to closethe bottom flap of container 100.

Capper/decapper 606 removes a cap (such as cap 101, discussed below)from container 100 and secures the cap back onto container 100.

Controller 604 comprises hardware and software components forcontrolling the operation of liquid dispensing device 600. Controller604 can comprise a motherboard with integrated circuits and otherstructures, or it can be contained wholly within a single integratedcircuit (such as a system-on-chip or SoC).

Water from a municipal water supply or other external source entersliquid dispensing device 600 via a manifold (not shown), where it runsthrough filters in water filtration and chilling unit 608 so thatimpurities are removed, including both inorganic chemicals andundesirable microbes. Water filtration and chilling unit 608 optionallycan chill the filtered water to a desired temperature.

During operation of liquid dispensing device 600, a user requests afilled container using an interface (not shown), such as a touch screen,mechanical buttons, a mobile app, voice recognition, or other knowninterfaces. The user optionally can request that certain additives (suchas flavors, caffeine, health supplements, etc.) be included in theliquid. Controller 604 receives the request and controls the actions ofvarious components of liquid dispensing device 600. Before the requestby the user, lift plate 603 already will have pushed stacks ofcontainers upward such that at most a single container protrudes fromeach aperture in separator 602. Gripper 601 grabs a single containerfrom the top of separator 602 and moves the container using track 609and other tracks to bottom flap closer 610, where the bottom of thecontainer is closed. Capper/decapper 606 then removes the cap from thecontainer. The container is then filled with liquid by filler 611 (andany requested additives are also inserted into the container), and thencapper/decapper 606 secures the cap back onto the container. Gripper 601then grabs the filled container and dispenses it to the user.

Additional detail regarding the components of liquid dispensing device600 will now be provided.

FIGS. 7A-7C depict additional detail regarding separator 602 and liftplate 603.

With reference to FIG. 7A, a plurality of container stack holders 703are placed on lift plate 603 and are shaped to receive the bottom ofcontainers 100. Lift plate 603 is attached to vertical track 701 and ispowered by linear actuator 702. Linear actuator 702 is controlled bycontroller 604

FIG. 7B depicts a plurality of stacks 704, each stack 704 comprising aplurality of containers 100 in a stacked, nested formation. The bottomcontainer 100 in each stack 704 is placed on a container stack holder703. Lift plate 603 ideally will push stacks 704 upward into separator602.

FIG. 7C depicts lift plate 603 at its maximum height, which will beachieved when no more than one container 100 is contained on eachcontainer stack holder 703.

FIGS. 8-10 depict additional detail regarding separator 602.

FIG. 8 depicts a top view of separator 602. Separator 602 comprises aplurality of apertures 801, with each aperture 801 properly sized toreceive a stack 704 of containers 100, such that container 100 can fitthrough aperture 801 when pushed by lift plate 603.

In FIG. 9, a plurality of containers 100 at the top of a stack 704 isdepicted, with the containers protruding through an aperture 801. Here,top container 901 is the top-most container 100, and second-to-topcontainer 902 is immediately below top container 901. Separator 602comprises a plurality of friction members 903 that are placed in theinner perimeter of each aperture 801. Friction members 903 areconstructed with a material with a sufficient coefficient of friction tostop second-to-top container 902 from being pulled above separator 602when gripper 601 grabs top container 901. That is, when gripper 601removes top container 901 from stack 704, friction members 903 willprevent second-to-top container 902 from also being removed fromseparator 602. In a preferred embodiment, friction members 903 areconstructed from rubber.

FIG. 10 depicts a close-up of a portion of separator 602 that includessensor 1001. Sensor 1001 in this embodiment is an infrared (IR) sensorthat is placed in a position such that sensor 1001 will be covered bythe bottom flap of top container 901 when top container 901 isprotruding through an aperture 801 at the desired height. When thebottom flap covers sensor 1001, controller 604 will receive anelectrical signal indicating that sensor 1001 is covered, and controller604 then will stop linear actuator 702 such that linear actuator 702stops lifting lift plate 603.

FIGS. 11-18 depict additional detail regarding gripper 601.

FIG. 11 depicts a front view of gripper 601. Gripper 601 comprisesjoints 1101 and 1102, arms 1103 and 1104, joints 1105 and 1106, helixspring 1107, bearings 1108, fingers 1109, and lips 1110, configured asshown.

FIG. 12 depicts a side view of gripper 601. In this view, the side ofarm 1104 is shown.

FIG. 13 depicts an “on” state of gripper 601. Gripper 601 comprisesplunger 1301, which is made of metal, and interacts with the coils 1302of a solenoid. The solenoid is electrically controlled by controller604. When controller 604 turns the solenoid on, current will run throughthe solenoid, a magnetic field will be generated around solenoid, andplunger 1301 will be pulled upward as a result of the magnetic force.This movement causes fingers 1109 to jut outward as bearings 1108 pivot.

FIG. 14 depicts an “off” state of gripper 601. When controller 604 turnsthe solenoid off, the magnetic field will cease being generated aroundthe solenoid, and plunger 1301 will fall downward due to its own weight,with additional force being provided by spring helix 1107. Fingers 1109then will move inward as the top of the supporting structure easesdownward.

FIG. 15 depicts an “on” state of gripper 601, this time in proximity tocontainer 100. This is the configuration immediately before gripper 601grabs a container 100 from above separator 602. Here, fingers 1109 havemoved outward and can receive cap 101.

FIG. 16 depicts an “off” state of gripper 601. Gripper 601 has moveddownward in the vertical direction, such that cap 101 is located betweenfingers 1109. When gripper 601 is turned off, fingers 1109 move inward,and lips 1110 are pushed inward under cap 101. In this manner, gripper601 is able to grab container 100. One aspect of gripper 601 that isnovel is that the force that is exerted downward by container 100 causesfingers 1109 to press inward with greater force and therefore to exert amore forceful grab of container 100. That is, unlike in prior artdevices, the grip exerted by gripper 601 increases as the weight ofcontainer 100 increases, due to the relative location of joints 1105 and1106.

FIGS. 17A, 17B, and 17C depict the sequence by which gripper 601 beginsin the “on” state, surrounds cap 101, and then proceeds to an “off”state whereby it grabs cap 101 and container 100. Optionally, sensor1701 can be used as a switch to activate gripper 601 once gripper 601 isin the proper vertical location vis a vis cap 101. When cap 101 pushessensor 1701, controller 604 then can caused the solenoid to turn off,thereby causing gripper 601 to grab cap 101.

FIG. 18 depicts a top view of gripper 601.

FIG. 19 depicts various tracks along which gripper 601 can move.Specifically, gripper 601 moves in the horizontal direction alonghorizontal tracks 1901 and 1902 (either of which can be track 609 shownin FIG. 6), in the lateral direction along lateral track 1903, andvertically along vertical track 1904. This allows gripper 601 to be ableto grab top container 901 from any stack 704 above any aperture 801 inseparator 602, to move the container to bottom flap closer 610, andultimately to dispense the container 100.

FIGS. 20A, 20B, and 20C depict further views of horizontal tracks 1901or 1902 and vertical track 1902.

As indicated previously, gripper 601 will grab a top container 901 fromseparator 602. Because lift plate 603 can hold a plurality of stacks 704of containers 101, there typically will be a top container 901 in morethan one stack at the same level. Controller 604 therefore runs analgorithm that keeps track of which top container 901 has been removedfrom which stack 704. This can be understood with reference again toFIG. 8. If there is a stack 704 inserted into each of the apertures 801,controller 604 can simply ensure that it grabs the top container 901from each stack 704, for example, by first starting in the top row, leftcolumn, and then working toward the right until the top container 901has been removed from each aperture 801 in the top row. It then can grabthe top container 901 from the next row, left column, and so forth. Onceall top containers 901 have been removed, controller 604 will causelinear actuator 702 to move lift plate 603 upward until sensor 1001 iscovered.

FIGS. 21A-21C depict additional detail regarding bottom flap closer 610.

In FIG. 21A, gripper 601 begins to place container 100 in bottom flapcloser 610. Walls 2101 are sized to receive container 100. It can beseen that bottom flap 105 is extended above movable ramp 2102. Movableramp 2102 is suspended on movable platform 2104, which in turn isconnected to spring 2103.

In FIG. 21B, gripper 601 pushes container 100 further downward in bottomflap closer 610. Bottom flap 105 engages with movable ramp 2102.

In FIG. 21C, gripper 601 pushes container 100 further downward such thatbottom flap 105 is secured in the desired position. It can be seen thatmovable ramp 2102 is now in a fully horizontal position and that movableplatform 2104 has moved toward the right, extending spring 2103 in theprocess. The tension in spring 2103 as this occurs causes movable ramp2102 to exert force on bottom flap 105, pushing it upward into thedesired position.

FIGS. 22-25 depict additional information regarding capper/decapper 606.

In FIG. 22, a front view of capper/decapper 606 is depicted.Capper/decapper 606 comprises fixtures 2201 and 2202, springs 2203 and2204, sensors 2205 and 2208, cap gripping mechanism 2206, and spindlemotor 2207. Fixtures 2201 and 2202 are sized to be able to receivecontainer 100 and cap 101. Springs 2203 and 2204 exert downward pressureon container 100 to assist in removing container 100 fromcapper/decapper 606 after the capping or decapping action is complete.Fixtures 2201 and 2202 provide some resistance to container 100 when cap101 is screwed off and screwed on, which prevents container 100 fromspinning along with cap 101 when rotational force is applied to cap 101.

FIG. 23 shows another front view of capper/decapper 606. Cap grippingmechanism 2206, springs 2203 and 2204, sensors 2205 and 2208, and spring2401 are depicted.

FIGS. 24A, 24B, and 24C provide additional detail regarding lockingmechanism 2206. With reference to FIG. 24A, locking mechanism 2206comprises spring 2401, hinge 2402, and sensor gaps 2403. FIG. 24Adepicts locking mechanism 2206 when no cap 101 is contained within it.FIG. 24B depicts locking mechanism 2206 when cap 101 is contained withinit (although cap 101 is not shown). When cap 101 is pushed into lockingmechanism 2206, first piece 2404 and second piece 2405 rotate outwardalong hinge 2402, and spring 2401 expands. Spring 2401 then exerts forcepulling first piece 2404 and second piece 2404 inward to securely grabcap 101. Once locking mechanism 2206 is holding cap 101, spindle motor2207 can unscrew cap 101 from the remainder of container 100 and latercan screw cap 101 back onto container 100. FIG. 24C depicts a side-viewof locking mechanism 2206. First piece 2404 and second piece 2405 aretapered to receive cap 101.

FIGS. 25A, 25B, and 25C depict sensors 2205 and 2208 relative to sensorgaps 2403. As can be seen, regardless of the orientation of lockingmechanism 2206, one or both of sensors 2205 and 2208 will have a line ofsight through one of the sensor gaps 2403. Sensors 2205 and 2208therefore can be used to detect whether a cap 101 is present in lockingmechanism 2206 or not because cap 101 will block sensors 2205 and 2208if present. Specifically, the following logic is applied to determinewhether cap 101 is present or not: (1) If sensors 2205 and 2208 are bothnot blocked, then no cap 101 is present; (2) If either sensor 2205 orsensor 2208 is blocked, then no cap 101 is present; and (3) If bothsensors 2205 and 2208 are blocked, then cap 101 is present. Controller604 therefore can use the output of sensors 2205 and 2208 to determineif a cap 101 is contained within locking mechanism 2206 or not.

FIGS. 26-27 depict additional detail regarding controller 604.

FIG. 26 depicts hardware components of controller 604. Controller 604comprises processor 2601, memory 2602, non-volatile storage 2603,microphone 2604, speaker 2605, display 2606, input device 2607, andnetwork interface 2608. Non-volatile storage 2603 optionally is a harddisk drive or flash memory array. Display 2606 optionally is atouchscreen display capable of receiving commands from a user. Networkinterface 2608 can be a wired (e.g., Ethernet) or wireless (e.g., WiFi,Bluetooth, 3G, 4G, GSM, etc.) One or more of microphone 2604, speaker2605, display 2606, input device 2607, and network interface 2608 can beused to interact with a user and can, for example, receive a commandfrom a user for one or more filled containers and can facilitate paymentfor the one or more filled containers, as in the embodiment of kiosk 1.

FIG. 27 depicts software components of controller 604. Controller 604comprises operating system 2701 (such as the operating systems known bythe trademarks “Android” or “iOS”) and application 2702. Application2702 comprises lines of code to perform the control functions disclosedherein (e.g., stopping linear actuator 702 when sensor 1001 detects anobject). Application 2702 optionally can operate a state machine forcontrolling the functions of liquid dispensing device 600.

While the invention has been described above by reference to variousembodiments, it will be understood that changes and modifications may bemade without departing from the scope of the invention, which is to bedefined only by the appended claims and their equivalents.

References to the present invention herein are not intended to limit thescope of any claim or claim term, but instead merely make reference toone or more features that may be covered by one or more of the claims.Materials, processes and numerical examples described above areexemplary only, and should not be deemed to limit the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An automated liquid dispensing device,comprising: a lift plate; a plurality of stacks of nested containersmounted on the lift plate; a separator for separating a top containerfrom one of the plurality of stacks of nested containers; a gripper forgrabbing the top container from the separator; a motorized mechanism formoving the gripper in three dimensions; a closing structure forreceiving the selected container from the gripper and for closing abottom flap of the top container; a capper for removing a cap from thetop container and for securing the cap back onto the top container; anda filler for filling the container with liquid.